


A Little Unsteady

by Finduilas



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Apologies, Arguing, Confused Steve Rogers, Domestic Avengers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Insecure Bucky Barnes, Insecure Tony Stark, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23395051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finduilas/pseuds/Finduilas
Summary: Written for the Tumblr prompt meme : "Hey! I was gonna eat that!"Tony lashes out at Bucky for eating his dessert. Only, it really isn't about the dessert.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 422





	A Little Unsteady

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Gemma for the Beta!! <3

Tony’s been out of the room for a good half hour when he walks back in to find Bucky finishing up what was left of Tony’s dessert. 

“Hey!” Tony calls out, pocketing his phone as he strides up to Bucky. “I was gonna eat that!” 

“Sorry man,” Bucky says around the last mouthful of leftover chocolate cake and Steve can’t help but snigger until he notices that Tony’s face is far from amused. “I thought you weren’t coming back,” Bucky adds bewildered, clearly noticing Tony’s demeanor as well. 

“That was a business call,” Tony snaps, glaring down at Bucky who’s still seated at the table and is staring up at Tony with wide eyes. “I had to take it,” Tony goes on, curt. “That doesn’t mean you can just…” He scoffs. “Some of us have to work for a living, to afford all this for all of you. We can’t just all mooch off of - ” 

“ _ Whoa _ , Tony,” Steve says hurriedly, his chair scraping back over the dining room floor as he stands. “That’s a bit unfair.” 

“Unfair?” Tony asks, his voice sharp and not at all like Steve is used to. “I step away for two minutes and I forfeit all rights to  _ my  _ food?” 

“I’m sorry,” Bucky says, his shoulders now stiff and his jaw clenched. He’s avoiding Tony’s eyes and Steve can’t help but feel sorry for his friend, because he knows how much he tries to avoid conflict nowadays, how much he’s tried to befriend Tony ever since he moved into the compound, despite how hard it’s been given the history between them. “I thought you’d finished your call and gone to your workshop or something. I didn’t think you were coming back.” 

“Come on, Tony,” Steve says softly, searching out Tony’s gaze. “We weren’t expecting you back. It wouldn’t be the first time.” 

Tony lets out a humorless snort. There’s a certain anguish over his face that Steve isn’t used to seeing and that he definitely doesn’t like on Tony’s face. 

“Bucky asked,” Natasha pipes in, giving Tony a look. “We all told him to go for it.” 

“Right,” Tony says, nodding. As well as he knows Tony, Steve can’t quite figure out why on earth he is acting this way all of a sudden. The entire blow-up seems completely out of proportion, and while Tony is prone to heated arguments this one seems unreasonable at best. 

“Hey, I can go down to the mess,” Bucky says as he gets up off his chair, a hopeful look on his face. “Maybe there’s something good left in the fridges that I can go and steal for you.” 

“Right,” Tony says, but he’s already turning towards the door. His voice has a bite to it as he says, before leaving the room, “‘cause you’re good at stealing things from under people’s noses, aren’t you?” 

***

Steve and Tony have had their fair share of arguments, but Steve has always been able to see Tony’s point of view on things. He doesn’t always agree, but Tony has never been unreasonable like he’s been today. It’s taken Steve by surprise, the little outburst in the kitchen, the snide comments at Bucky.

Steve knows that Tony and Bucky don’t exactly have the easiest past. But after the initial tough start, Tony really went above and beyond to make things right between him and Bucky, much to Bucky’s surprise. Bucky didn’t feel like he deserved Tony’s forgiveness at first, but Steve had told him that that was just the kind of guy Tony was. The kind of guy Steve had grown to know and love. He had a good heart, and it had been such a relief to Steve when Tony and Bucky started getting along. Tony even invited Bucky to come live at the compound. Well, he didn’t do the inviting himself but he urged Steve to, saying he knew how much it would mean to Steve to have his best friend move in, and reassured Steve that he was okay with it. 

The last few months, since Bucky moved in, have been great. Steve feels like he’s got the best of his both worlds combined; his new family in the Avengers and his lifelong best friend all in the same place, getting along. Especially now that Bucky is on the mend and settling in nicely with everyone. 

Until Tony went and freaked out about Bucky eating the rest of his dessert, that is.

Which is why Steve is currently knocking on Tony’s workshop door, and getting no answer. 

“FRIDAY,” Steve sighs, even though he already knows the answer. “He’s in there, isn’t he?” 

“He is, Captain,” FRIDAY answers, “But he has asked not to be disturbed.” 

“Seriously?” Steve mutters, then calls out loud enough that he knows Tony will hear it - otherwise FRIDAY will relay the message for him. “Are you actually going to hide from me in there?!” 

When there’s no answer, Steve shouts, “I can break down this door and you know it!” 

“Boss says he’d like to see you try,” FRIDAY informs him dryly. 

“Fine,” Steve huffs and takes a few steps back to be able to get some momentum to burst through the door. Tony leaves him no choice. 

He’s about to put his shoulder to it when the door opens up automatically to reveal a put-upon Tony. 

“I don’t have time to fix what you break when you’re being a caveman,” Tony mutters as he walks back to his work station, turning his back on Steve. 

“What is wrong with you?” Steve asks, frowning as he follows Tony into the room. 

“Jury’s still out on that,” Tony says matter-of-factly, “But I believe the words narcissistic and daddy-issues have been floating around.” 

Tony’s shoulders are hunched as he sits back down and his fingers tap quickly over the hologram keyboard. 

“Tony…” Steve says softly, because there’s clearly something going on here - something that  _ isn’t _ chocolate cake - and it’s putting Tony in a mood. “What’s wrong?” 

“Forget about it,” Tony shakes his head, deliberately not looking at Steve as he throws up some complicated looking plans in the air. “It’s nothing.” 

“It’s clearly not nothing,” Steve says, rounding the table so he can face Tony. “If you’re snapping at Bucky like this - ” 

“ _ God _ , fine!” Tony calls out, put upon. “I’ll apologize to your precious bo-  _ Bucky _ . Just… leave me alone.” 

The words feel like a punch to the gut to Steve. The clear dismissal, the comments that feel almost deliberately cruel; it reminds Steve of the time in the Helicarrier, all those years ago, when they were under the influence of Loki’s scepter. 

“What on earth has gotten into you, Tony?” Steve asks and he’s trying very hard not to let his annoyance show too much, because the last thing he wants is to get into a shouting match with Tony, but Tony sure as hell isn’t making it easy on him. 

“Nothing!” Tony repeats, once again, flicking his fingers rapidly at the holograms to make images appear and disappear. “I just wanted a quiet dinner with you guys and not have to fucking think about…” He sighs, rubbing his hands over his face as he trails off. 

“Think about what?” Steve asks, almost desperate, because this is starting to feel like pulling teeth. “I thought you and Bucky were getting along? I thought you were, you know, in a good place. I know a lot has happened, and it’s been hard on you, but…”

“It’s not - ” Tony shakes his head, clearly frustrated. “Bucky’s a good guy. I know he is.” 

“He went out to go find an all night bakery for you,” Steve says, trying hard to get a hint of a smile on Tony’s face. “I’m pretty sure he’s gonna come back with enough desserts to put you in a sugar coma.” 

“Oh,” Tony’s face falls, a trace of guilt visible on it. “He didn’t have to do that…” 

“I know, I told him.” Steve shrugs. But Bucky wanted to make it right any way he could, so he went out anyway. Natasha accompanied him, telling Steve to ‘go take care of Tony’. “Because this really isn’t about the chocolate cake, is it?” Steve asks. 

“You… I’m happy for you,” Tony says, deflated, and happy is about the last thing Steve would use to describe Tony right now. “That he’s back. That, that you have him back.” 

“Bucky?” Steve frowns, because he’s not entirely sure he’s following what Tony is talking about. 

Tony nods, deliberately not meeting Steve’s eyes. 

“Thanks,” Steve says, hesitantly. He is, of course, ridiculously happy that he’s got Bucky back. They’ve been best friends since forever and losing him was one of the hardest things Steve has had to deal with in his life. What he doesn’t understand is why it seems to make Tony sad. Or why Tony had his little outburst in the first place. 

“If I apologize, do you, uh… do you think he’ll stay mad at me?” Tony asks, swiping away the holograms before he starts tinkering aimlessly at some metal pieces that are on his work bench. 

“He’s not mad now,” Steve says, sympathetically. “It’s Bucky, he… he just thinks he’s to blame.” 

The words make Tony cringe and that’s not what Steve was aiming for either, of course. 

“Fuck,” Tony breathes out, knocking the metal pieces off the bench with his hand, “I’m such a jealous piece of shit.” He buries his face in his hands, turning away from Steve again. 

“Tony…” Steve starts, because as much as he doesn’t want Bucky to blame himself for all the troubles of the world - which he already does so often - he certainly doesn’t want Tony to do so either. In a sense Tony is a lot like Bucky in that respect, because he also - 

_ Wait.  _

“ _ Jealous? _ ” Steve blurts out, because his mind gets stuck on the word and can’t seem to process it. Why does Tony have to be jealous? Who is he jealous of? It doesn’t make any sense. Tony just groans and sighs like he was hoping Steve would glance over what he said, or maybe wouldn’t have heard him, which is ridiculous because Steve has super serum hearing and he definitely heard Tony call himself jealous. 

Then something clicks in Steve’s head, and he feels like the air is being sucked out of his chest, because he’s replaying the conversation in his head… because Tony said that he was happy for Steve and Bucky, as if… as if they were… a thing. And because Tony said he’s jealous and oh God… 

“ _ You’re in love with Bucky? _ ” Steve calls out, strangled. It feels like a punch to the gut, because Lord, he loves these two people so much - in very different ways - and he wants them to be happy but in all honesty he can’t say if he’d be able to cope with seeing them together. It would feel like his best friends ripping his heart right out of his chest with their bare hands and oh God, his breathing is heavy and his chest is pounding and then Tony looks at him with an indecipherable expression on his face. 

“What?” Tony says, incredulous. “God, Steve,  _ no _ !” 

“But, you said…” Steve stammers, completely and utterly confused. 

“Please, can you just…” Tony asks, waving his hand vaguely in the direction of the door, shoulders slouched and eyes faintly red. 

“Tony…?” Steve asks, because there is no way he can just step away now. 

“I’m in love with  _ you _ , you idiot!” Tony yells out, almost desperately. 

There’s a ringing in Steve’s ears as the phrase replays on a loop in his brain and all he can do is stare at Tony incredulously. Tony looks about as miserable as Steve has ever seen him, and all Steve wants to do is step up to him and throw his arms around him and hold him close, but it seems like he’s frozen in place. 

_ I’m in love with you, you idiot! _

_ with you _

It’s only when Steve suddenly inhales sharply that he realizes he’s been holding his breath. The ringing is still present in his ears and he tries to say something but he doesn’t know what. His brain is having a difficult time processing what Tony said, even though it’s everything Steve has been longing to hear. But everything Steve simply can’t believe is true. 

“Please leave,” Tony says, almost inaudible, like something broke inside of him and Steve can see him turning away. Then all of a sudden Steve’s body is acting on its own, taking two long strides towards Tony and his hand is on Tony’s upper arm, preventing him from turning away from him. 

Tony’s eyes are wide and bewildered as Steve grips him, like he’s afraid of what Steve is going to do next, but then Steve’s eyes are closing by themselves and his mouth is crushing against Tony’s and the ringing in Steve’s ears stops abruptly to make place for Tony’s heartbeat. Or is it his own that he can hear? Either way it’s pounding, but Tony’s lips are soft and warm and are pressing back against his own. 

Steve slips his hands up Tony’s neck, fingers cupping underneath his jawline, thumbs resting on Tony’s cheeks and there’s a soft noise that escapes Tony’s throat - a whimper - and it erupts a fire within Steve’s body. He parts his lips, tongue swiping out and immediately finding access in Tony’s mouth. Tony’s hands are gripping at the back of Steve’s shirt, and his entire body is pressed in against Steve’s, and Steve forgets how to think, how to function, how to breathe… 

He doesn’t know how long they’re standing there, time irrelevant in the warmth of Tony’s kiss, when they finally do break away - a need for oxygen becoming dire - but Steve rests his forehead against Tony’s, and one hand is cupping the back of his neck and Tony’s chest is solid and reassuring against Steve’s. 

“I’m an idiot,” Steve whispers, his voice sounding rough. 

“ ‘s what I told you…” Tony mutters, tilting his face a bit, nuzzling his nose against Steve’s cheek. 

“I thought…” Steve trails off.

“I know,” Tony says, his breathing still heavy. “ _ I _ thought..” 

“Me and Bucky?” Steve asks softly. His eyes are closed but he can feel Tony nodding against his face. 

“It made sense,” Tony says like a confession. 

“I don’t know,” Steve says, an arm slipping around Tony’s shoulder, desperate not to let go, “Maybe. But no.” 

“I’m an asshole,” Tony says, and Steve immediately silences him with a quick kiss, because  _ no _ . 

“What you said about him stealing things from under your nose…” Steve says, pulling away just far enough to be able to look Tony in the eyes. 

“I thought…” Tony says, a slight blush on his cheeks which could be the result of the kiss or embarrassment, Steve can’t tell. “We were getting closer. I was… I thought we were… heading somewhere. But then you and him… there’s this history, and…” 

“He’s my brother,” Steve says honestly, his thumb rubbing soothing circles over the back of Tony’s neck, “We’re close, yes, but… there’s nothing…” Steve shakes his head. He doesn’t know how to explain, because as much as he loves Bucky with all his heart, he’s never had those kinds of thoughts or feelings about him, ever. “It’s you, Tony,” Steve says, “You and only you.” 

And the way Tony kisses him makes Steve think that maybe he didn’t explain it so badly after all. 

***

They get to the kitchen just as Bucky and Natasha are unpacking boxes of treats and Tony groans as he takes in the sight, subconsciously moving to stand behind Steve a bit, as if he’s trying to hide. 

“Bucky…” Tony whispers, guilt audible in his voice. 

Bucky’s head snaps up and he immediately holds out one of the boxes in Tony’s direction. “Do you like lobster tails?” he asks, a bit unsure. “I’m not sure what it is, but it looks really good.” 

“Buck…” Tony tries, but Bucky just sets the box down on the table and grabs another one. 

“We’ve got lots,” he says, looking around at the assortment in front of him. “I wasn’t sure what you liked best. I’ve got a couple of different kinds of chocolate cake, but there’s cupcakes and cream puffs and cannoli’s - ” 

“Oh my God, Bucky, stop,” Tony says as he steps towards the table. “You didn’t have to - I’m an asshole.” 

“Yeah, y’are,” Natasha mutters as she grabs one of the sugar cookies and takes a bite into it. 

“Alright,” Steve says, looking at Natasha. “Why don’t we give these two some privacy so this one can apologize properly.” He puts his palm playfully over the back of Tony’s head and nudges him a little bit. 

“Thanks,” Tony says, shooting Steve a small smile, before looking back at Bucky. 

“We’ll go get the others afterwards,” Steve says, looking at the assortment of desserts displayed on the table. “We’ll have a late night dessert party or something, ‘cause there’s no way the two of you are eating all of this alone.” 

He shoots Bucky a reassuring wink, because he knows Tony will make things right again. Natasha grabs another cookie before Steve nudges her out of the room. 

“He’s gonna apologize?” Natasha asks, raising an eyebrow at Steve once they’re out of the kitchen. 

“Yeah, he was just…” Steve trails off, shrugging. 

“Jealous?” Natasha supplies for him with a knowing smile. 

Steve just stares at her. “How did you…?” he frowns. 

Natasha’s only answer is a cocky smirk. 

“You know, you’re seriously scary sometimes,” Steve says, shaking his head. 

“Don’t hurt him,” Natasha warns, but her voice is surprisingly soft. “He’s an ass but he’s our ass and we love him.” 

“Yeah…” Steve says, glancing back at the kitchen. “We do.” 

***

_ Fin  _


End file.
